Incorrect sitting posture - slouching

Back pain is the second most common reason people visits their GP (the first is the cold/flu) accounting for more than 7 million consultations every year. Many sufferers rely on pain-killers and people suffering with chronic back pain are at a higher risk of developing depression. The NHS spends more than £1 billion a year on treating back pain and in addition there are other (indirect) costs to UK businesses. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that musculoskeletal disorders, which includes back pain costs UK employers over £600 million per year and claim that we have an 80% chance of getting a lower back problem at some point in our lives.

In many cases, the pain is due to extra strain on the lower back muscles caused by bad posture from sitting in front of a TV/computer screen or ‘slouching’ on longer journeys in vehicles. BackCare, the UK Charity dedicated to helping us keep healthier backs (backpain.org) recommends; “When driving, maintain an upright posture.” By keeping the lower part of the back to follow the contours of the lumbar support, the correct upright posture is created, however, it takes constant conscious effort to maintain the correct upright position and so many people revert to spending hours in their vehicles in an un-healthy position (see figure). Prolonged ‘slouching’ causes the lower back muscles to tighten, working to protect the spine… and this can lead to muscular spasms – commonly known as ‘back ache’. The CG-Lock gently keeps the hips in the correct 'upright' position.